Genomics England has successfully completed the first phase of its study assessing plasma samples and potential of liquid biopsy. The research, conducted in collaboration with Inivata and Thermo Fisher Scientific, analysed around 200 blood plasma samples donated by participants of the 100,000 Genomes Project. The results showed that the plasma samples were of a high
The first map of great whites sharks’ DNA has revealed “mutations” that protect the animals against cancer and other illnesses. Scientists hope that more research could help apply the findings to treating age-related illnesses in humans, as the great white’s ability to repair its own DNA has evolved in ways ours hasn’t. Unstable genes in
A research team from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory have created a protein map using 4D computer model that allows for real-time tracking of proteins during mitosis. The first interactive map of proteins that make our cells divide enables users to track exactly where and in which groups the proteins are that drive the division
Scientists at Imperial College London have researched how to fine-tune cellular clocks, which could lead to optimised production of drugs, biofuels and other chemicals. In terms of genetics, oscillators are biological ‘clocks’ that express certain key genes at regular time intervals. Such oscillators exist in all realms of life, from bacteria to humans – and
Despite successes of targeted cancer drugs and the promise of novel immunotherapies, the vast majority of people diagnosed with cancer are treated with chemotherapy. Now a new study by UCSF researchers using techniques drawn from computational biology could make it easier for physicians to use the patient’s genetic profile of the tumour to pick the
Research at the University of York found evidence to suggest that genes are controlled by ‘nano footballs’, as the structures bear a strong resemblance to footballs but 10 million times smaller than the average ball. By placing tiny glowing probes on transcription factors, special chemicals inside cells which control whether a gene is switched ‘on’
Insilico Medicine, a biotech based in Baltimore, develops advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to study the ageing processes and discover new interventions in ageing. Many of these molecules aim to induce the expression of certain genes involved in the endogenous repair processes to slow down and even reverse some of the aging-associated diseases. By applying a
University of Oxford announced that it will benefit from Nightingale Health’s biomarker analysis technology. The Finnish company will install its technology in the Nuffield Department of Population Health (NPDH), in the Wolfson Laboratory. The biomarker platform allows the university to study large population cross-sections to trace 220 metabolic biomarkers from blood samples. This will be
